How is kinetic energy calculated?

Kinetic energy is calculated using the formula 1/2mv², where "m" represents the mass of the object and "v" represents its velocity. This relationship indicates that kinetic energy depends on both the mass of the object and the square of its velocity. The reason for including the square of velocity is crucial: as the speed of an object increases, its kinetic energy increases exponentially—doubling the speed will result in quadrupling the kinetic energy.

This equation illustrates that kinetic energy is purely associated with the motion of an object and is a fundamental concept in physics. The factor of 1/2 is included in the formula to ensure that the units of energy (Joules in the SI system) are consistent when the mass is in kilograms and the velocity is in meters per second.

Other options provided correspond to different forms of energy or work. For instance, mgh represents gravitational potential energy, Fd refers to work done (force times distance), and pV relates to the ideal gas law in thermodynamics, indicating pressure and volume. All these formulas are relevant in different contexts but do not pertain to the calculation of kinetic energy.